Roofing tiles, such as slate and ceramic tiles, are typically installed by skilled roofers using roofing nails. This requires a “feel” for driving the nails with the proper force. Too much force can result in cracked or broken tiles and too little force results in loose tiles which can be damaged or lost in high winds.
In order to simplify the installation of roofing tiles, specialized tile hooks have been developed to hold tiles on a roof without directly nailing the tiles to a roof. While these specialized fasteners work well in low wind conditions, it has been found that in high wind conditions, the fastener hooks can bend and release a tile from the roof or allow a tile to slide upwardly beneath an upper row of tiles.
This disclosure is directed to a hook type fastener for fastening and holding tiles to a roof even in high wind conditions. In one embodiment, a spring arm is provided on each fastener for preventing a tile from being blown upwardly under overlying tiles and out of its fastener hook. Other advantages are realized with a multifunction fastener as described herein including both functional and aesthetic benefits.
For example, when using the fasteners described herein, adjacent tiles can be spaced apart by about 3/16 inch (0.187 inch) when installed with a fastener projecting upwardly between them. This spacing creates an opening or channel between adjacent tiles allowing rain and melting ice and snow to easily flow downwardly through the channels and away from the roof. Without this relatively wide spacing between tiles, water will typically seep into the cracks between adjacent abutting tiles and travel in all directions beneath the tiles by capillary action. This seepage eventually reaches the roof deck thereby causing water damage.
Another advantage to the relatively wide spacing between tiles is the visual effect created by the separated tiles. The spacing creates a pleasing deep shadow line making the tiles appear deeper and thicker as opposed to the tapered abutting edges of conventional tile roofs.
In one embodiment, a tile fastener is provided with a pair of laterally extending side wings or anchors which receive the weight of a pair of overlying tiles and thereby hold the fastener on the roof under the weight of the overlying tiles. In another embodiment, a modified tile hook is provided with a laterally extending arm that engages the upper edge of one adjacent tile, and in yet another embodiment, a pair of laterally extending arms engages the upper edges of two adjacent tiles to lock the tiles in position on a roof. The anus can be formed as cantilevered leaf springs.
Once a first row or course of tiles is installed, a second row or course of tiles is installed over the first row or course with a partial overlap. Tiles on the second course are inserted into the open mouths of fastener hooks projecting vertically upwardly from gaps between adjacent tiles on the first course and, as explained further below, tiles on the second course bear down on, hold down and secure in place the tiles in the first course.
This arrangement provides a semi-permanent roofing tile construction wherein underlying tiles are effectively locked in position by the combined action of a spring arm, the weight of a course of overlying tiles and the retention of the overlying tiles within a series of hooks provided along the underlying course of tiles.
The fastener hooks in a first course of tiles are anchored in place beneath the first row or course of tiles in a manner which prevents the mouths of the fasteners from lifting upwardly, bending open and releasing a tile.
An advantage of the roofing system disclosed herein is the ease of quickly installing a new tile roof and quickly and easily manually replacing broken or damaged tiles without the need for tools. That is, once a layer or strip of roofing material having a series of hooked fasteners preassembled on, coupled to or otherwise attached to the roofing material is secured to a roof deck, an installer need only slide a roofing tile upwardly and over a fastener hook on a lower fastener with the upper edge of the tile pushing against the bias of a fastener spring arm on an upper fastener and then release the bottom edge of the tile into the mouth of the fastener hook on the lower fastener. No tools are needed for this installation or for subsequent tile replacement.
Once so installed, a tile can be easily removed and replaced without tools and without any special skill or “feel” by pushing up against the bottom edge of the tile and sliding the tile upwardly along the plane of the roof and against the bias of the spring arm. Once the bottom edge of the tile clears the mouth of the fastener hook, the tile can be easily pulled downwardly from under the overlying row of tiles and lifted up and off of the roof. A new or replacement tile can then simply slide in place under the upper row of tiles as described above.